Eli Cox

Eli Cox (born October 19, 2000) is an American professional football center for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Early life Cox was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky. He attended West Jessamine High School where he played football, helping his team compile a record of 6–5 in his senior year. He was invited to the Louisville vs. Bluegrass Senior All-Star game and was ranked the 14th-best Kentucky recruit in his class by 247Sports.

College career Cox redshirted as a true freshman for Kentucky in 2019, then appeared in eight games as a backup guard in 2020. He was Kentucky's starting center in 2022 and then moved back to guard for the start of the 2023 season, before returning to center mid-season in 2023. He served as a team captain in the 2023 season, being named second-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC). He returned in 2024 and started all 12 games at center, being named third-team All-SEC. He was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine after the 2024 season.

Professional career

Houston Texans

Cox was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent on May 9, 2025. He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts, and re-signed to the practice squad. On January 20, 2026, Cox signed a reserve/futures contract with Houston. He was waived on August 30 as part of final roster cuts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On September 1, 2026, Cox was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.

Personal life Cox is married.